Silverstar listened silently to the other leader’s reports. All of them were going on about how their clan was fine and wonderful. She knew better. Of course, green-leaf was getting close. Closer and closer. But still, the constant weather patterns made it difficult to hunt and the meat that they did manage to bring back was tough and chewy. Honestly, the she-cat was sick of the other clans acting as if all was alright. Some clans were cruel, yes, and some of their warriors were worse, but why bother hide the truth when everyone silently knew the truth? They were all too proud to admit weakness. Her tabby tail drawn back and her eyes watching the crowd thoughtfully, Silverstar stepped up to the front of the branch she was balancing on. Her stance demanded attention and her blue orbs told more. When all the cats were quiet and hushed, she spoke, her voice echoing around the clearing.

“All of you seem to want to hide the truth. The truth that hangs over us each moon, each year. You clans go on about how strong and powerful you are while we know different. All of our clans are seeing bad weather, some more severe than others, all of us are suffering from less prey, and all of us push it to the back of our minds. ThunderClan is starting to suffer; the rain has taken its toll.”

She breathed, still staring intently, letting her eyes sway from one cat to another.

“Those cats that disappeared moons and moons ago and returned, they know what we have to do. Not all of you have heard this, but those cats who journeyed long and hard were searching and scouting for StarClan, for us, and they have found our new home. If we stay here, we will perish. We will watch as our children die of hunger and never live to see their first day out of camp. For that reason, for everyone’s safety and life, we must leave and travel to a new home.”The cats faces as to who she had been watching changed and morphed into a look of dumbstruck grimaces.

“I don’t know about you, leaders of the other clans, but I want to see us flourish and live long and healthy. ThunderClan is leaving. I’m confident StarClan is too. We leave in a quarter-moon. Redstar, Smoketail, Littlestar, and Shadowstar [let us say she is here now], come with us and bring your clan if you have any sense. We leave whether you do or not.”

Her eyes flashed and she waited for the deafening uprise of yowls that was certain to come. What she proposed was crazy. But really, was it? The clans had travelled before, maybe now wouldn't be so different.

Smoketail sat still, his eyes thoughtful. His tail, wrapped tightly around his paws, twitched with unease. "Silverstar," he began, looking over at the tabby she-cat. "I agree with you, that we are all hiding the truth. WindClan has been suffering from prey-loss, barely able to fill our bellies. This last moon has been the best for hunting that we have had in two seasons." He paused to take a breath, listening intently. It was as if the forest was holding it's breath as well, as nothing stirred.

"But how can we be sure that the Journeying cats have really found a new home? Our ancestors led us here, so many seasons ago, to escape from two-leg destruction. We thought this was the home we would stay in forever. How do we know that it won't happen there, as well?"

Sandfur stood up, her frur on end. Finally Silverstar said the truth. But how are they supposed to survive such a hard journey? She thought of her kits, who were back at camp. What about the kits? Or the elders? Will everyone survive?She joined in the meowing of the other cats. She looked up to Silverstar. Whatever they're doing, she knew that Silverstar would lead them to safety.

Griffinpaw listened intently, paying attention to each of the leaders as they finally let their worries loose to the other Clans. He stood up, not caring about being rude. "Who cares? Let's leave!" he meowed aloud.

Thrushflame sat there, not even paying attention.

Goldenstorm, jaws wide open, at the leaders and then at Griffinpaw. Leave? How could they leave? What about Myth? What about the moor and the rabbit, there might be a little, but still...

Cloudfrost snapped his head around to look at Griffonpaw, his eyes blazing. "Griffonpaw's right! There is no prey here! I say we leave right now!" he caterwauled up at the leaders.

-----

Hollypaw stared up at the leaders, shocked for a moment. But the angry yowls made her snap out of her confusion. "Yes, let us leave!" she yowled, leaping to her paws to glare defiantly at the leaders.

-----

Smoketail waved his tail, trying to keep the cats silent. "We cannot leave right now," he growled, his eyes gleaming like stars. "We have to prepare our Clanmates. And besides," He turned to Silverstar, respect shining in his blue gaze. "How do we know the rain won't stop? None of WindClan's cats have spoken a word to neither me nor Wolfstar. What if it was only ThunderClan meant to move? Your Clan is the largest in our territories. Maybe they're sending us a sign that there should only be four Clans in the forest once more?"

OOC: Smokey's gonna get assaulted by the other leaders, isn't he? XD Speaking his mind can cause a lot of trouble.

Littlestar sighed. Goodness, why did cat always have to ruin the order of things. Lying was as natural to the clans as grass and prey, everyone knew this, there was no point in complaining or poitning it out. He couldn't see why they would anyways. It wasn't for petty pride, it was for the protection of their clans. And if every one of the cats so chose to give away the conditions of their denmates so freely, then they only wanted attacks on them that come as frequently as the rain was coming now.

Though, he was telling the truth somewhat. They were doing well. Thanks to their cave they didn't go to sleep in sodden dens and were less vulnerable to greencough. It was their protection. The only thing that the rain had caused was shortage of prey, a shortage worse than that of winter, but they had found food. If any clan was thriving, he thought, it would be RiverClan, they feed from the river, and it was only getting larger from the rain. They could get as amny fish as they wanted. This wasn't a drought. Those RiverClan cats were much plumper than the rest of them. The rain had moved the water so it wouldn't freeze. They were the strongest of all of them, and he could see it on their pelts.

"Listen to yourself, Smoketail," Littlestar mewed to the deputy who had frequently taken the place of his leader, "there are seven clans. Three of us would have to leave. I doubt StarClan would favor DarkClan," he almost hissed the name, "and if any clan would go next, it would be the weakest, and by the sound of what you have said, it would be yours. This possibility is shown more by the absence of your leader for the past Gatherings. So if StarClan wanted the clans to become four, then it would be WindClan and DarkClan who would leave logically. So then who would be the third?"

The question was almost haunting. One clan, and another nearly certain, but who else would they take away? RiverClan? ThunderClan, ShadowClan, WolfClan? FireClan? It was a mystery, if Smoektail's theory would be true. He doubted it was though, StarClan wasn't that cruel.

"With three clans gone then there would be more room for the rest of us, more prey to take, but the thought of StarClan doing that wouldn't cross my mind." The thought was mere slander. He now turned his attention towards Silverstar. "I haven't heard a word from the cat that was returned to us, not one about this. How are you certain, since you are the only clan thus far who has even heard a word of this, that your member hasn't come back with lies made up in their heads? Come back with a plot? Or make an excuse for why they left in the first place? What makes you say this is true? Rain? Because it has rained before, and all rain stops."

He stayed sitting firm on his branch throughout his entire speech that contradicted both clans. He pondered over questions in his head as he waited for answers.

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Silverstar watched and listened to Smoketail in respect, despite being a deputy, he was wise and beyond his moons in maturity and thoughts. She stared at the leaders calmly. She expected this. The she-cat answered Smoketail’s first question after spending a slight moment coming up with an intelligent answer.

“We do not know that it will be our final home. Unfortunately, neither we nor StarClan ever will. But don’t we trust in them enough, after following under their rule for decades and decades, to listen to them? To know that we can follow them without hesitation? They have made mistakes in the past, but if we stay here and wait, will we be any better off?”

His second question was even harder to answer than the first. Not even their ancestors knew the solution to it.

“I don’t Smoketail. No one does. There has been this many clans for ages. StarClan would not lead us in two separate directions.”

While his words spoke of dignity and calm common sense, LIttlestars were to the point and agitated Silverstar. None the less, she stood in the exact same spot, eyes glittering softly as the moon hung above, still full and without a cloud in sight. A clear night.

“But if what the cat who journeyed told me, a cat from your clan did go and come back with the exact same news. I trust in my source. Now, if you’d like to question my ability to judge character, don’t. Rain doesn’t make up my mind about my decision. However, it does influence it. The weather, the prey shortage, the messages from StarClan. What happens next? Something that shakes us to our very core and tears us apart, kills us? [*precognition here*]”

ooc- Poor Silverstar has to be the bearer of this bad news of leaving. xD Now I have to think of stupid excuses as to why they really have to leave.

"One. One cat so far has told this news. The incident of I as well losing a cat and having him return means almost nothing. Who is to say that this cat didn't leave at a different time? Who is to say this cat didn't return at the same time? It's ludicrous to even think that a cat would leave without reason or explaination and return the same way, just to say that they had a messege that we must move to an unknown area and an unknown place, moving for an unknown time?" He kept his calm, questioning these point civilly. "And if this messege is true, how do you know it pertains to now and not in the future?"

OOC: I SAID NOTHING ABOUT DIGNITY!

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Goldenstorm growled. "WindClan cats are the strongest of the Clans." he snarled, half to himself. His usual bold, confident self a little angered. He usually wasn't cocky, but he didn't care at the moment.

Griffinshade kept his fangs bared, his amber eyes eyes glowing with fury. "It doesn't matter! If we don't leave now, all of the Clans will be devoured in starvation." he yowled up to the two leaders, denying that they should leave. "Stop denying your own hunger, we all can feel it!"

Smoketail growled and stood on his branch. "WindClan are not the weakest Clan!" he said in a forcibly calm voice. He had listened calmly through Silverstar's speech, but Littlestar's remark about his Clan being weak? That was low. Even for them. "Littlestar, I was not saying that StarClan was forcing anyone out. If three Clans left it still would not stop the rain. Which has been here for many moons by now."

Littlestar took his gaze away from it's unknown point and looked over to Smoketail. "I never said anything like that," he responded. He was simply saying that WindClan was weakening, and it would be highlypossible that they'd be the ones to leave. "Smoketail, I agree with your statement, but not too long ago you said that it was a sign that ThunderClan must leave. So how what I said be any different?"

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Smoketail stared into Littlestar's eyes, his own sparkling with barely concealed anger. "It was a suggestion," he said, his tail lashing. "I have no rule over ThunderClan, nor any of the Clans. I am only here to represent Wolfstar while he is at camp."

Littlestar sighed calmly and turned his head away. "Then what is your position? What do you think this all means? This 'prophecy' that has suddenly been brought to allof our attentions. And from the mouth of one cat."

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Smoketail shook his head. "I don't know. The cat that left my Clan many moons ago is not here, currently. I will ask her if what ThunderClan's journeying cat says is true or not." He raised his eyes. "I believe that we should all do the same and meet back here before the next Quarter-Moon."

Littlestar doubted that Yarrowthorn would actually prove this thought, but he nodded his head. "Fine. I could do that," he mewed, casting his gaze to Silverstar, "do you agree with this as well?"

OOC: My muse was like... shanked or something. XD

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Griffinshade was furious. "We do not have that time to waste!" he growled at them, every word spat was shaken with anger. He stepped forward. "Every sun we wait another cat will die of starvation, another storm to kill another tree, for more prey to leave or drown in their own dens. Is that the kind of fate your willing to wait for?" he let his gaze sink into each and every leader on their perch. "I as a warrior have a duty to protect my Clan. From the oldest elder to the youngest kit, we are all here to fend for our own Clans. How are we expected to do so with our warriors falling like flies? How are our medicine cats supposed to heal our cats if they are no more herbs, dead plants scowering our territories?" he questioned them. "Now is not the time to sit around. Ask yourselves if we can really risk the destruction of the Clans. And if you decide you can, ask yourselves if you can bear the thought that you have killed all seven Clans, single pawed, if you can handle all that blood on your paws." he looked at them. "All of you." he ended, waiting for their reply, or another cat to take his side.

Goldenstorm agreed with Griffinshade, nodding his head seriously. "He's right." he muttered.

Littlestar looked down into the crowd of cats, finally acknowledging their presence and hearing their muse. He didn't notice them before. He'd been ignoring them the entire time. He forcused his gaze at one of the ShadowClan cats.

"This is not your place to speak." He mewed down to the cat. "This is matter for the leaders to decide"-and a deputy-"it isn't as simple as you may see it. We can't leave just because two or three cats think it's a good idea." Of course he didn't understand. These warriors never took into account the things leaders had to consider for every decision. "Your points may be backed by your observations and your feelings, and I can't say you or wrong or deny what you've said. It's all of our duties to protect our clans. More so of the six of us up here, but at the Gatherings it's not the position of the warriors or the medicine cats neither the deputies below to voice their oppinions no matter how strong they feel. This is a time for the leaders to speak, report, and compromise without tension between them. If you have something to say you wait after and tell your leader, and maybe then your views can be shown to all of us through him in the next Gathering"-in the next quarter moon if Silverstar, as well as the other leaders agreed-"but now is not the time."

He finished his little talk to the warrior, even if it was best left to his leader, he couldn't keep shouting out like a kit who'd taken its first step out of the nursery. Hopefully he wouldn't speak again, but he doubted it greatly.

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Griffinshade felt the urge to growl, but held it back. "No Littlestar." he mewed back. "We do." he glared at him. "Not so long ago you too were a warrior." he stepped forward a bit, "Sometimes it's appropriate to break the code. Now is the time for the warriors to speak, the simple cats of the Clans. Since we fend for those who need our help, I think it's only fair that we now speak on their behalf." he narrowed his eyes and stood tall. "We can't wait till next quarter-moon." he growled the last of his words.

Obviously Redstar can't even control his own cats. "Then fine," Littlestar mewed. "Tell us why we should leave everything we know, all of our homes where clanmates and kin where born and died in to keep it, a place we know is free of twolegs and their danger, a place that we've stayed in for many countless moons to some unknown place on the account of one cat in ThunderClan. Tell us why we should believe this possible insane notion. Reassure us to the point where we can move nearly doubtless to the destination you're so enthusiastic to run off to. Explain in a way that I, or any other leader can take in your words and know that this is best for every one of every cat in every clan to leave. Since you, the single warrior speaking out for every clan must know what each needs, which each is suited for. You must know the need or compromise, the circumstances, and the balances so every cat can be satisfied with what they have to a reasonable extent. Please, tell us all, since we six might as well all be speaking as warriors because not too long ago we were all ones too.

Tell me and all of us this so we know that waiting a quarter of a moon to reassure ourselves as well as our clans is completely unecessary and get us to jump right off our branches and start off now. Tel us, please."

This would be fun to hear...

_________________Cody: I have a things to say about Snigger.Me: What?Cody: Her little sig thing. CP definitely sounds like some freakish disease. And if I'm not mistaken an SP is a handheld gaming system.Featherstream: Hey, I like it. Especially the BB one.Ghostkit: He's totally gay.Bengalbelly: How can I be? You're not even allowed to be on this site!Cody: You sound sad about that.Me: GOT 'EM!Bengalbelly: -.-Featherstream: XD

Griffinshade looked up at him, "Because if we stay, we'll all die." he meowed. "When is the last time you've seen a fat mouse? Or any RiverClan warrior has seen a large fish, or WindClan a fat rabbit, or ThunderClan seen a bird that isn't starving? I can't remember the last time I've seen a healthy rat.Can you remember a single day where you couldn't scent rain? Could see the sun without a single gray cloud in the sky? The rain hasn't stopped for moons and we keep thinking that'll end tommorow when tommorow it'll just get worse.Have you seen the size of the river? Or how the lake seems to be swelling? Our land is flooding, our prey dying.""We are cats, wolves. Predators of the lands, predators learn to adapt. Even if we can't find land best suited for us, at least we'll find land. And what two-leg would be bee-brained enough to enter a forest full of wild wolves willing to kill them the moment they even scented them? We aren't kitty-pets. We can fend them off." he growled, answering Littlestar's question.

Smoketail looked down at the warriors, his ears twitching as he listened to their outbursts. He cut in just as Griffinshade finished his speech to Littlestar, hoping to end this stupid quarrel. "Stop it, both of you!" he growled, lashing his tail. "This is no time to be fighting among ourselves! I cannot disagree with either of you. But I can say that, as WindClan's representative here, I am at a loss for words. It has been hard for me, seeing my Clanmates fall because of the rain and the sickness and famine it has brought. But we need to stay here, if even for a mere Quarter-Moon, so we can ready ourselves. We can't just set off into the unknown based on the words of one cat! We could end up all dying on the journey there. We need to consult with our Clanmates, get them stronger for what is to come."

Silverstar watched the bickering cats with slitted eyes, fur on her neck bristling. Why were these cats so stubborn? She couldn’t help agreeing with the ShadowClan cat however his approach was badly thought out and could have been played better. He seemed like a decent warrior, he just didn’t keep his mouth shut. Questions flew from cat to cat and warrior to leader until the she-cat stepped forward onto her branch and yowled for silence. It was a calm voice, not commanding, just… calm. Like leaves in the slight breeze. “You are acting like kits. Whether the other clans join us, ThunderClan will be here in a quarter moon, ready to lea-“ But she was cut off. Her voice didn’t just trail off, it was stopped in its tracks as the very fabric of earth began to violently shake.

Her small body was flung off the tree and she screeched, a nail ripping painfully off as her claws fought for balance in the woody bark. Her mind screamed at her to tuck and roll and she attempted to. However, as she landed and her attempt began, the grass shook her paws from under her and she slipped, feeling a shooting pain in her hind leg. In the panic she felt it hurriedly and found nothing broken. The quake continued and she ducked for cover. That did nothing as as soon as she sheltered the tree she was huddled against began to be uprooted. She yelped and ran from it; it crashed down just moments later where she had been. Her frantic eyes found her clan and she called for them to run before she felt another tremor hit…---Aquapaw was listening silently, thinking about that ShadowClan apprentice [warrior now I suppose] that had snapped at her when it happened. One moment she was staring up at the leaders, watching Griffinshade argue with LIttlestar, and the next she was being thrown into another clan cat who was being thrown into another and so on and so on. It was like a dream for a few seconds, she felt like she was floating, but then she was awakened and her mind registered what was happening. What was happening anyways? She had no idea. A loud snap was heard and a large tree tipped in her direction. Her reflexes weren’t fast enough. The small apprentice looked upwards and tried to leap out of the way, but instead it caught her in mid-air and drove her into the ground, winding her and crushing down on her hind leg.

She screamed in pain and she swore she could hear a snap. Aquapaw squirmed and squealed, attempting to loosen the tree’s grip and stop the tremendous pain that was making her vision fuzzy, or at least call someone to help her. Nothing worked in her favor in the utter chaos and she gritted her teeth as the trunk shook and rattled, rolling over her leg as her eyes began to slowly close…

Vixenstep shrieked in terror as the earth started to violently shake. She dug her claws into the ground, hoping to steady herself, but was instead thrown out of the way, landing on her side. Her shoulder started to ache as she was thrown from the ground again, and she landed against Goldenstorm. "What's happening?!" she yowled, her voice drowned out by the terrible sound of wood snapping.

----

"Aquapaw!" Rockpaw yowled, seeing his denmate get crushed beneath the huge tree. He rushed forwards, his paws slipping constantly because of the rumbling ground, and reached the she-cat's side, his gray-green eyes huge with fear.

----

The WindClan deputy howled in surprise as the branch he was standing on snapped violently in two, sending him plummeting to the ground below. Fortunately he hadn't been very high up, and the fall merely took his breath away and kept him winded. "WindClan!" he yelled, scrambling to his paws and struggling to stand, his long tail lying nearly on the shaking ground. "Stay together!"

He looked back, his blue eyes still strangely calm amidst the chaos that surrounded him, to see the Great Tree he'd been standing on just moments before started to sway. "Silvertstar, Redstar, Flint, Shadowstar, Littlestar! Get down now!" he screeched, unaware that the ThunderClan leader was already away.

Sandfur had to watch in terror as the earth began to shake. Her own clan leader seems to be hurt. She dugged all her claws into the earth to get hold and crawled forward to Silverstar. Surrounding her were cats of all clans, ducking together. The place was full of fear-scent. Sandfur moved forward until she had reached her leader. She huddled herself to her so they would hold eachother. "Arrrrreeeee yooouuu oooookaaaaaaay?", she mewed, but due to the shaking her voice sounded strange.